Mounting means for sliding doors



Jan. 12, 1960 Filed April 5, 1954 D. H. MORGAN MOUNTING MEANS FORSLIDING DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR 9,, 56, Quota yaw ATTOR EY Jan.12, 1960 D. H. MORGAN MOUNTING MEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 5, 1954 INVENTOR ATTOR Y Jan. 12, 1960 D. H. MORGAN MOUNTINGMEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 5, 1954 v 30/l/I/l/l/Al INVENTOR BY a v d ATTEJRNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 D. H. MORGANMOUNTING MEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS Alllll I |l.l l I l.l\ lllulllll HH I II I HIHH llll lHllll iflimr Will] I.

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United States Patent 2,920,339 MOUNTING MEANS FOR SLIDING DOORS David H.Morgan, Youngstown, Ohio Application April 5, 1954, Serial No. 420,820Claims. 01. 16-106) My invention relates broadly to sliding doors forhangars or piers and other large openings, and more particularly to aconstruction of floating top roller for such doors.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction offloating top roller for doors including means for compensating foruneveness in the track over which the doors operate, and coacting meansfor guiding the doors in a vertical plane against abnormal windpressures while providing means for insuring weather-tightness of thedoor even under conditions where a wide variation in the movement of thedoor over the base track may occur.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of floatingtop roller for sliding doors in which I-beams are provided for guidingthe doors in vertical planes and wherein the top rollers each includesone set of diagonally disposed roller members which coact with the topsurface of the lower flange of one of the I-beams on opposite sides ofthe intermediate web thereof, and another set of diagonally disposedroller members which coact with the opposite sides of the vertical webof the said I-beams for maintaining the door in an upright position andsustaining the door against abnormal wind pressures.

Another object of my invention is to provide a com pact construction offloating top rollers which may be connected with the tops of the leavesof a multiple sliding door system and provide adequate clearance for themutual sliding of the leaves and at the same time permit variation inthe vertical position of the leaves for following uneveness in the basetrackage level with provision for excluding rain, snow and ice adjacentthe door suspension.

Other and further objects of my invention are to provide a strong andreliable structural assembly for guiding the multiple leaves of hangarand pierdoors as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafterfollowing by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Fig. 1 is a frontelevational view of a hangar or pier sliding dooremploying the floating top roller of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the suspension for a pair of leaves ofthe hangar or pier door illustrated in Fig. 1; Y

1 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional line 33 of Fig. 2, guidingtwo coactingleaves of a hangar or pier door;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the floating top rollerunits of my invention;

vFig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing one of thefloating top roller units of my invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view partially in section showingthe arrangement of the depending guide associated with the sliding door;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified view takensubstantially on showing the floating top rollers for leaf is shown,

form of weathering shield which may be used with thefloating top rollersof my invention; and

Fig. 9 is a schematic top plan view showing the location of theweathering shields with respect to each of the coacting door leaves.

My invention is directed to a construction of floating top roller forsliding doors, hangars and piers by which the multiple leaves of asliding door system, of heights of from eighteen to sixty-five feet ormore, of the order of 1200 lbs. to 30-t0ns, may be readily supported foroverhead sliding and sustained in an upright position against abnormalwind pressures while providing means whereby the operation of thefloating top roller remains effective even though the vertical dimensionfrom the bottom of the overhead guide to the top of the base rail on thefloor or ground may vary excessively, even up to the order of twelveinches without effecting the operation of the leaves while excluding theentry of snow, ice and rain between the roller track and the top of thedoor leaf.

I accomplish these advantages by means of a compact floating top rollerunit arranged to coact with an I-beam suspension. The floating toproller unit embraces the -beam and contains one set of diagonallydisposed roller members which engage the top surface of the lower flangeof the I-beam on opposite sides of the intermediate webthereof, whileanother set of roller members which are diagonally disposed engageopposite faces of the intermediate web of the I-beam. The coaction ofthe two sets of roller members with the I-beam insures a uniform rollingmovement of the coacting door leaves.

vide a weathering strip having one portion extending upwardly adjacentthe floating top roller units and sup-' ported by the channel andclosing the gap between the.

floating top roller units and the lower flange of the I-beam, andanother portion extending downwardly from the channel and overlappingwith the top peripheral edge of the pier or hangar door leaf. The twofloating top roller units which are mounted adjacent opposite ends of"by the channel whereby the door leaf, in operating over be maintained ina sus-;

an uneven base track, will still tained position with adequate weatherprotection between the floating top roller units an the peripheral edgeof the top of the door leaf.

The floating top roller unit forms with the interconnecting invertedchannel a reliable guiding means for the sliding door leaf where thespaced depending guides enable the door leaf to rise and fall accordingto un-' evenness in the level of the base track while being sus-Q tainedin a predetermined vertical plane, enabling the passage of similarlysuspended coacting door leaves.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1designates a door leaf for a hangar, or pier, which is guided in anupright position by the floating, top roller units 2 and 3. Eachfloating unit comprises a pair of welded frame-sections shown at 4 and5, and 6 and 7, respectively. The sections 4 and 5 are connected inoff-set relation end-to-end. Similarly the sections 6 and 7 areconnected end-to-end in off-set relation.

In Fig. 2 where the the floating top roller units are designatedPatented Jan.

and of weights The float ing top roller units are mounted on oppositeends of the" web of a downwardly directed channel member. I proanupright posi beneath the channel on guide means for the coactingdQQt;

33 at 2 and 3, respectively, comprising the adjacent welded frames 4"and 5' and 6 and 7 In Fig. 6 I have shown on an enlarged scale thearrangement of the two frames 4 and 5 which constitute the means formounting the rollers in each of the floating top roller units. It willbe observed that frame 4 provides at the side 4a thereof a journal forthe roller 8 which is disposed on a horizontal axis and is directedinwardly to engage the upper surface of the lower flange of the I-beam9. The frame 4 is integral with a base plate 4b which extendshorizontally and provides a support for a bracket it). Bracket 10 isgrooved at 11 to permit clearance of the edge of the lower flange of theI-beam 9, and also to provide journalling means for the roller 12.Roller 12 is mounted horizontally and makes contact with the verticalsurface of the web of the l-beam 9, while roller 3 constitutes avertical roller making contact with the top surface of the lower flangeof the I-beam 9, as heretofore stated.

Rollers 8 and 12, journalled with respect to the frame 4, form part ofthe cluster of the floating top roller. The coacting frame 5 supportssimilar rollers but in diagonally opposite positions as illustrated moreclearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Frame 5, for example, includes an upwardlyextending side portion indicated at 5a in which the vertical roller 14is journaled for establishing rolling contact with the upper surface ofthe lower flange of the I-beam 9. The frame 5 extends horizontally,forming an integral base 5b adjacent the end of which there is mountedthe bracket 15. Bracket 15 provides journalling means for the horizontalroller 16 which establishes contact with the opposite surface of the webof the I-beam 9 as compared to the position of roller 12. Thus it willbe seen that the vertically disposed rollers 3 and i4 establish rollingcontact with the top surfaces of the lower flange of I-beam 9 onopposite sides of the web thereof, while rollers 12 and 16 establishrolling contact with the opposite faces of the intermediate web of theI-beam 9 at diagonally opposed positions of the unit. In order toclarify the drawing I have shown the diagonally opposed horizontalrollers 12 and 16 somewhat spaced from the opposite surfaces of the webof the I-beam 9, but it will be understood that in practice the rollersestablish close-fitting rolling contact with the opposite faces of theweb of the I-beam. customarily, graphite bronze bushings are used forjournalling both the vertical rollers 8 and 14- and the horizontalrollers 12 and 16. It is possible, however, to use any anti-frictionbearings, such as roller bearings, in one or both sets of rollers.

In order to withstand the severe strains to which the structure of myinvention are subjected, I provide welded connections between thecoacting frame sections 4 and 5 and secure the brackets 10 and 15 to thebases 4b and 521 by means of screws 17 and 18. The edge of the side 4ais welded to the abutting face of the bracket is at substantially thecenter thereof in frame 4. Similarly the edge of the side 5a is weldedto substantially the center of the bracket 10 in frame 5. The framesections 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 are all symmetrical, that is, there are norights or lefts and the roller units 2 and 3 constitute assemblies oftwo each of these frame sec tions reversed in position with respect toeach other where one frame section extends beyond the horizontal limitof the coacting frame section of each unit in the opposite direction.Fig. 2 shows, for example, section 4 extending beyond the side ofsection 5 at one side while at the other side section 5 extends beyondthe side of section 4. This symmetry is uniform for sections 4 and 5-and also for sections 6 and 7 and sections 6' and 7. Thus the pattern ofeach section is the same but by reversing the positions of the sectionsand welding the sections end to end a composite suspension assembly isobtained without right and left patterns. The screws Iii-24B extendthrough the flanges 21, 22, 23 and 24 connected with the guide rods 25,26, 27 and 28 as shown more clearly in Fig. 7. The screws pass throughthe bases 4b and 5b and through the web of the weathering channel 29,passing through the flanges 2l-24 and being secured by nuts 17a, 18a,19a and Ztla. The depending guide rods 25-28 pass slidably through thetop frame portions of the door leaf 1, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.The door leaf 1 may include the horizontally extending frame members 30and 31 adjacent the top thereof consisting of channels with theirflanges directed upwardly and closed by web plates 32, 33, 34, 35, and36, 37, 38 and 39. The channels and the associated web plates areapertured for the slidable passage of the depending guide rods 25-f.8whereby the door leaf 1 is free to vary in position vertically withrespect to the guide rods. Confining nuts and washers 25a, 26a, 27a and2811 are secured to the free depending ends of the guide rods 25-28,respectively. These confining nuts and washers 25a-28a are not essentialand may be omitted as the guide rods will perform their guiding functionwithout such confining washers and nuts, although such washers and nutsdo serve as a supporting means for the door leaf in instances where theuneven track bed 40, over which the bottom wheels 41 and 42 operate, mayfall below a safe limit or through some obstruction on the track thedoor leaf might leave the rail and slip from the ends of the guide rods2528. Such a condition has been encountered where the door encounters areasonably small obstruction, jumping the bottom wheels 41 and 42 offthe rack 40, whereupon the door leaves confined by the washers and nuts25a-28a may slip from the guide rods. The bottom wheels 41 and 42opcrating over rail 4t) have been illustrated schematically andrepresent any trackage arrangement for minimizing the dislodgement ofthe door leaf by reason of obstructions of any kind. In practice thebottom wheels 41 and 42 may have a diameter ranging from 9 inches to 24inches for supporting a mass in the range of 1200 lbs. to 30 tons. Thusit will be seen that the door leaf is free to rise and fall on the guiderods within certain limits which are the reasonable limits to which aninstallation of this kind may be expected to be subjected.

The weathering channel 29 supports the weathering angles 43 and 44, asindicated in Figs. 4 and 5, extending between the floating top rollerunits. While I have illustrated two of such weathering angles 43 and 44in Figs. 4 and 5, a single angle may be suflicient as illustrated inFig. 3. These angles are adjustable on the web of the weathering channel29 after the door is installed in order to reduce the gap between theangle and the edge of the lower flange of the I-beam 9 to a minimum. Theweathering channel 29 also carries a weathering shield 45, dependingdownwardly and shaped to coact with the top peripheral edge of the doorleaf 1. Thus, as the door leaf 1 rises and falls on the guide rods25-28, beneath the weathering channel 29, entry of rain, snow or ice'weathering shield is prevented by the overlapping of the 45 with the topperiphery of the door. This weathering shield 45 extends around theleading edges of the door leaf where it precludes entry of the elements.As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the weathering shield 45 may be supported fromthe overhead structure adjacent the tops of the overhead structure,represented at 46. In this instance the weathering shield is astationary sheet as represented at 47. These sheets extend for the widthof the door leaves when in their closed position when the door leavesare moved to overlapping relation for closing the hangar or pier doorsopening as represented in Fig. 9. These shields 47 form a closureadjacent the tops of the door leaves preventing entry of the elements.

The overhead structure indicated at 46 may take a variety of forms. Inthe case of wood trusses, drying out of the wood and the loosening ofthe associated ring connectors often has the effect of changing thespatial relation of the parts of the supporting. structure in reference"to the base rails 34 on the floor. The structure of my inventioncompenates for conditionsof this kind. Also, in the case of snow-loadson the roof of a building the spatial relation of parts of thesupporting structure with reference to the base rails 34 may change andsuch changes are compensated for by the structure of my invention.Changes in temperature conditions on metal supported structures alsohave adverse influences upon conventional types of sliding doormountings. This is particularly true in a three-pinned arch system andcantilever structures for all of which the arrangement of my inventioncompensates for those inequalities in height.

In the several views illustrating the multiple door leaves I haveapplied primed reference characters to those parts which indicatecorresponding elements of the principal door leaf. That is, thereference characters have been repeated on the coacting door leaf, butsimply primed to show the corresponding parts.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferredembodiments I realize that modifications may be made, and I desire thatit be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intendedother than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A hanger for sliding doors for guiding the movement of a door withrespect to an I-beam having a vertical web and an upper and lowerhorizontal flange, comprising a two section frame whose sections aresubstantially identical and are assembled in positions reversed withrespect to each other and connected end-to-end in abutting relation andadapted to be attached to the top of a slidable door and embracing thelower horizontal flange of the I-beam and extending upwardly on oppositesides of the web thereof, two roller members journaled in each framesection, one roller member of each frame section being journaled forrotation in a vertical plane and engaging the top surface of the lowerhorizontal flange of the I-beam on one side of the web thereof and theother roller member of each frame section being journaled for rotationin a horizontal plane and engaging the opposite side of the said web forguiding the movement of the door.

2. A hanger for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which each ofsaid frame sections includes a vertically extending side member with theside member of one section disposed in a position that is spaced fromthe side of the web and laterally spaced with respect to the position ofthe side member in the adjacent frame section, and wherein, the rollermembers engageable with the top surface of the lower horizontal flangeof the I-beam are journaled in the vertically extending side members,and a bracket forming part of each frame section, the roller membersengageable with the opposite sides of the Web of the I-beam beingjournaled in said brackets.

3. A hanger for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which each ofsaid frame sections includes a vertically extending side member with theside member of one frame section disposed in a position on one side ofthe web and laterally spaced with respect to the vertically extendingside member of the adjacent frame section, and wherein said rollermembers engageable with the top surface of the lower flange of theI-beam are journaled in the said vertically extending side members, and

with the opposite sides of the web of the I-beam being journaled in saidbrackets, and wherein said side members are off-set from thelongitudinal extremities of the lower horizontal flange of the I-beam,and said brackets each being provided with a longitudinally extendinggroove which embraces in spatial relation the longitudinal extremitiesof the lower horizontal flange of the I-b'eam.

4. A hanger for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which each ofsaid frame sections includes a bracket for journaling the roller memberswhich engage the opposite sides of the web of the I-bearn and whereinsaid brackets form substantially a loop substantially encircling saidlast mentioned roller members with the loops extending laterallysubstantially diametrically of the last mentioned roller members andwith the said roller members projecting beyond the sides of saidbrackets for engaging the opposite sides of the web.

5. A hanger for guiding the movement of a sliding door with respect toan I-beam having a vertically extending web and an upper and lowerhorizontal flange comprising an inverted channel having a horizontallyextending rear web and a vertically disposed side flanges extending in adirection parallel with the direction of movement of a sliding doorarranged beneath said channel, a pair of frame sections supported inlinearly spaced positions with respect to said rear web of said invertedchannel, said frame sections extending upwardly to positions above thelower horizontal flange of said I-beam and terminating sub stantiallycentrally of the vertically extending web of the I-beam, each of saidframe sections being substan tially identical and disposed in abutmentend-to-end in reversed positions, said sections each including atransversely extending wall structure at one side of the web of saidI-beam and a longitudinally extending wall structure spaced from theopposite side of said web and wherein the longitudinally extending wallstructure of one frame section is connected with the transverselyextending wall structure of the adjacent frame section substantially atthe center thereof and laterally spaced from the sides of the web of theI-beam, a pair of roller members journaled in each of said framesections, one roller member of each frame section being journaled onsaid longitudinally extending wall structure and engaging the uppersurface of the lower horizontal flange of said I-beam at one side of theweb and the other roller member of each frame section being journaledintermediate said transversely extending wall structure and engaging theside of the web in a position directly opposite the position of theaforesaid roller member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS246,286 Brinton Aug. 30, 1881 885,970 Barr Apr. 28, 1908 1,752,025Peterson Mar. 25, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 668,060 Germany Nov. 25, 1938753,056 France Oct. 6, 1933 pair of downwardly depending

